The life of St. Monica is the classic story of a great mother - for how else would the wayward young Augustine ever have become the great St. Augustine without his mother's prayers and example?

Monica is also a shining example for Catholic wives. As a young Catholic girl married to a pagan husband, she steadfastly practiced her Christian Faith; Monica's constant charity finally resulted in the conversion of both her husband and her mother-in-law.

Included in this book are the stories of young Monica's painful lesson regarding wine, her estrangement from her son as he grew up and drifted into paganism, her anguish over Augustine's renunciation of the Catholic Faith and embracing of Manichaeism, Augustine's cruel deception of his mother, then later his dramatic struggle to break away from a pagan way of life - and finally, Monica's great joy when her son was baptized at age 33.

St. Monica - Model of Christian Mothers is a book to give renewed hope and confidence to mothers struggling to raise their children in unChristian surroundings. But much more than that, it is a tremendous true story of a great woman, of a great mother of a great Saint that will inspire everyone - plus, it is one of the greatest stories ever of prayer finally answered.

Raised in a Christian family, she was given in marriage to a bad-tempered, adulterous pagan named Patricius. Mother of two, one of whom is Saint Augustine of Hippo whose writings about her are the primary source of our information about Monica. She prayed constantly for the conversion of her husband (who converted on his death bed), and of her son (who converted after a wild life). Spiritual student of Saint Ambrose of Milan. Reformed alcoholic.